Reading from January 9th, 2011 - April Lum

S: Genesis 22:11-12 "But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

O: Earlier in vs. 2 God had spoken to Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac to test him. Abraham was obedient in doing what God told him. However, in vs. 11-12 just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, the angel of the Lord stepped in and told him to stop. Sometimes when God speaks to us we don't get the full plan until we are in the process of obedience. It was important for Abraham to continue seeking God as he walked out what he was told to do. If he hadn't, he may have missed this very important piece of information that God was wanting to communicate to him, to not go through with the sacrifice.

A: I know there have been times in my life where God has shown me the direction that he wants me to go in or given me a task to complete and I just take off running until it is completed. I need to remind myself that its not always in the end result that God brings growth and maturity but rather that he is desiring to teach me many things through the process of my obedience. I can't imagine what would have happened in Abraham's life if he had not been seeking God's guidance from the beginning all the way through to the end. I don't want to miss out on anything that God has for me.

P: Lord I pray that I would never go ahead of what you have for me. Help me to not just be satisfied in hearing you give me a direction but also seek what you have for me through the process.